Thumb protectors for serving plated food

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are various embodiments for thumb protectors for serving plated food. A thumb sleeve slides over a wearer&#39;s thumb to prevent contact with food to be served.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present patent application is a non-provisional application of, and claims priority to and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/894,181, filed on Aug. 30, 2019 and titled “Thumb Protectors for Serving Plated Food,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Servers in the food service industry, such as waiters and food runners, often carry dishes of food to dining tables by hand rather than on trays. Servers often grasp the dish by placing a thumb in or along the top edge of a dish and using the remaining fingers to support the dish from below. This grasp provides more control than merely supporting the dish from below; however, it often presents the problem of a server's thumb contacting the food to be served.

A server may cover his or her hand with a towel to prevent digital contact with the food; however, cloth towels may be unsanitary, as they are absorbent and soil quickly. Towels may also interfere with the gentle placement of a dish on a table. While servers may use disposable gloves, the use of disposable gloves can be wasteful, inconvenient, and their presentation may ruin the ambiance of a dining establishment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a drawing depicting a first example of a thumb protector according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a drawing depicting a side view of the thumb protector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a drawing depicting a side section view of the thumb protector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a drawing depicting a top view of the thumb protector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a drawing depicting a bottom view of the thumb protector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a drawing depicting a rear view of the thumb protector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a drawing depicting a front view of the thumb protector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a drawing depicting a second example of a thumb protector according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a drawing depicting a side view of the thumb protector of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a drawing depicting a side section view of the thumb protector of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a drawing depicting a top view of the thumb protector of FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a drawing depicting a bottom view of the thumb protector of FIG. 8.

FIG. 13 is a drawing depicting a rear view of the thumb protector of FIG. 8.

FIG. 14 is a drawing depicting a front view of the thumb protector of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-7 depict a first example of a thumb protector 100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The thumb protector 100 of FIGS. 1-7 can be used with a variety of dishes, such as plates. The thumb protector 100 can prevent contact between a server's thumb and food in a dish. As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the thumb protector 100 can comprise a thumb portion 110 and a hook portion 120 defining a recess 130 therebetween.

The thumb sleeve 112 and the hook portion 120 can be made of a substantially rigid material such as plastic or silicone. In some embodiments, the thumb sleeve 112 and/or the hook 121 can be flexible for comfort and to allow some movement for improved control over the dish. In some embodiments, the thumb protector 100 can be non-porous, non-absorbent, and/or dishwasher safe. Moreover, the thumb protector 100 can comprise an insulating material to protect a wearer from contact with high-temperature food.

As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the thumb portion 110 can include a thumb sleeve 112. The thumb sleeve 112 can comprise a wall 114 that defines, at least in part, an open-ended cavity 116 adapted for receiving a wearer's thumb. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the thumb sleeve 112 can be generally hollow, with a distal end and an aperture 118 on a proximal end, and can be sized to accommodate a human thumb. For example, in some embodiments, the thumb sleeve 112 can be approximately 40 to 50 millimeters in length, with an aperture 20 to 30 millimeters in diameter. In other embodiments, the thumb sleeve 112 and the aperture 118 can be larger or smaller, as desired, to accommodate variously sized thumbs. Furthermore, an opening, such as a slot, may be formed in the thumb sleeve 112 to facilitate pressure equalization, which may aid in insertion and removal of the wearer's thumb.

The hook portion 120 can extend from the thumb portion 110 and can include a hook 121 integrally formed with the thumb sleeve 112. In the shown embodiment, the hook 121 descends from a proximal end of the thumb sleeve 112 and extends laterally toward a distal end of the thumb sleeve 112. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the hook 121 can extend substantially the same length as the thumb sleeve 112, and can have a substantially flat upper surface. In other embodiments, the hook 121 can be longer or shorter than the thumb sleeve 112, and can extend upward at a distal end such that it can further engage the bottom of a dish. In example embodiments, the bottom surface of the thumb sleeve 112 and the upper surface of the hook 121 are spaced sufficiently such that the recess 130 can accommodate the insertion of the edge of a dish between the thumb sleeve 112 and the hook 121. For example, the distance between the bottom of the thumb sleeve and the upper surface of the hook can be approximately 6-7 millimeters. In other embodiments, the distance can be larger or smaller to accommodate a variety of dish thicknesses.

When in use, a wearer can insert his or her thumb into the aperture 118 of the thumb sleeve 112 and then place or slide his or her thumb, in the thumb protector 100, on the top surface of the dish. The edge of the dish can slide into the recess 130 between the thumb sleeve 112 and the hook 121. The remaining fingers of the wearer can be free to support the dish from below. In use, the hook 121 can bias the thumb protector 100 toward a wearer or engage the edge of a dish, such that, when a wearer withdraws his hand from the dish, the thumb protector 100 may be prevented from falling into or onto the dish. Once the dish has been placed on a table, for example, the thumb protector 100 can be withdrawn from the dish along with the wearer's hand.

FIGS. 8-14 depict another example of a thumb protector, referred to herein as the thumb protector 200, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The thumb protector 200 of FIGS. 8-14 can be used with a variety of dishes, such as a bowl. The thumb protector 200 can comprise a thumb portion 210 and a hook portion 220 defining a recess 230 therebetween.

The thumb sleeve 212 shown is substantially similar to the thumb sleeve 112 of the previous embodiment. In this embodiment, a hook 221 descends from the thumb portion 210 and extends proximally, toward a wearer. As shown in FIGS. 8-10, the hook 221 can be shorter than the thumb sleeve 212. In alternate embodiments, the hook 221 can be longer than the thumb sleeve.

When in use, a wearer can grasp a dish with his or her thumb pointed in an upward fashion, such that the hook 221 can engage the upper edge of the dish. The wearer's remaining fingers can be free to support the bottom of the dish. In this way, the hook 221 can allow the wearer to bias the dish against the wearer's palm for greater control, without requiring the wearer to insert his or her thumb into the dish. In alternate embodiments, the hook can take any number of other configurations.

It is emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations to set forth a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure. 

The following is claimed:
 1. A thumb protector for serving food, the thumb protector comprising: a thumb portion comprising a thumb sleeve, the thumb sleeve comprising a wall that defines, at least in part, an open-ended cavity adapted for receiving a human thumb, the thumb sleeve further comprising at least one opening to facilitate pressure equalization during insertion and removal of the human thumb; and a hook portion extending from the thumb portion, the hook portion comprising a hook that defines, at least in part, a recess between the thumb portion and the hook portion, the recess between the thumb portion and the hook portion being structurally configured to receive a section of a dish therein.
 2. The thumb protector of claim 1, wherein the thumb protector is made of a material suitable for washing in a dishwashing machine.
 3. The thumb protector of claim 1, wherein the thumb protector comprises a heat-insulating material.
 4. The thumb protector of claim 1, wherein the thumb sleeve is 50 millimeters or less in length.
 5. The thumb protector of claim 1, wherein the aperture is 30 millimeters or less in diameter.
 6. The thumb protector of claim 1, wherein the hook is longer than the thumb sleeve.
 7. The thumb protector of claim 1, wherein the hook is shorter than the thumb sleeve.
 8. The thumb protector of claim 1, wherein the hook has a substantially flat upper surface.
 9. The thumb protector of claim 1, wherein the hook extends toward a distal end of the thumb portion.
 10. The thumb protector of claim 1, wherein the hook extends toward a proximal end of the thumb portion.
 11. A thumb protector for serving food, the thumb protector comprising: a thumb portion comprising a thumb sleeve, the thumb sleeve defining, at least in part, an open-ended cavity adapted for receiving a human thumb; and a hook portion extending from the thumb portion, the hook portion comprising a hook that defines, at least in part, a recess between the thumb portion and the hook portion, the recess between the thumb portion and the hook portion being structurally configured to receive a section of a dish therein.
 12. The thumb protector of claim 11, wherein the thumb protector is made of a material suitable for washing in a dishwashing machine.
 13. The thumb protector of claim 11, wherein the thumb protector comprises a heat-insulating material.
 14. The thumb protector of claim 11, wherein the thumb sleeve is 50 millimeters or less in length.
 15. The thumb protector of claim 11, wherein the aperture is 30 millimeters or less in diameter.
 16. The thumb protector of claim 11, wherein the hook is longer than the thumb sleeve.
 17. The thumb protector of claim 11, wherein the hook is shorter than the thumb sleeve.
 18. The thumb protector of claim 11, wherein the hook extends toward a distal end of the thumb portion.
 19. The thumb protector of claim 11, wherein the hook extends toward a proximal end of the thumb portion.
 20. A method for serving food, comprising: inserting a thumb into a thumb protector that comprises a hook and a thumb sleeve configured to receive a human thumb; placing the thumb protector, with the thumb inserted in the thumb protector, on a dish; and inserting a portion of the dish in a recess of the thumb protector defined, at least in part, by the closed-end thumb sleeve and the hook. 